Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 16, 2012)
nov. 16, 2012_nwlp 10/10/17 10:52 am page 10 Labor law conclave set Feb. 1 Who’s On Our Side? By Tom Chamberlain One would think that the first three words of our Constitution, “We the people,” would mean just that: we the people. But corpora- tions have been considered a part of “We the people” for almost 100 years. And since 2010, they have had no limits, thanks to the United States Supreme Court, even on the amount of funds they could con- tribute to a political campaign. The 2012 election was, in many ways, a battle between we, the people, the middle class, elderly, and the poor, and the power that an expanded definition of “We the People” gives to the wealthy elite and their corpo- rations. Pundits for months pre- dicted that in the end Mitt Romney would become president by the sheer force of a tsunami of cash. The pundits were wrong. They were wrong because they didn’t un- derstand the power of we, the peo- ple, talking to people. They didn’t understand that we, the people, are the folks who showed up and staffed phone banks, went door to door talking to our neighbors, talked to our co-workers and family and friends. What you can’t buy is the connection, dedication, and con- viction that only comes from those who understand and can articulate the issues on a personal level. In Oregon grassroots efforts were broad and deep. The involved leadership from AFSCME, Our Oregon, OEA, SEIU, the Demo- cratic Party of Oregon and Planned Parenthood, just to name a few. In Oregon, we, the people, suited up and showed up to fight an onslaught of cash. And we, the people, packed the halls of the Oregon Labor Cen- ter night after night, making 315,000 telephone calls, knocking on over 115,000 doors, delivering 359,500 pieces of mail, three- to four-hour-shifts at a time. We, the people, got up at o-dark thirty to talk to workers and deliver almost 10,000 worksite fliers. We the people were the trans- gender UNITE-HERE member who showed up night after night to call workers across the state, re- cruiting co-workers and friends to help too. We the people were the out of work Painter whose son was about to leave for Afghanistan but who made the time to phone bank or canvass day after day. We the people were the scores of school workers who, after working an eight-hour day, came and worked another four hours talking to Ore- gon voters five days a week for over eight weeks. We the people are the members of the Oregon AFL-CIO who agreed to fund the biggest ground game our federation has ever had. We the people are Work- ing America, whose canvassers en- thusiastically went door to door throughout the Willamette Valley educating voters with patience and professionalism. We the people are the staff of the Oregon AFL-CIO who often work seven days a week 10- to 14-hour days, who were up early at the worksites and closed down the phone banks late at night. There are no “ifs, ands, or buts”: We won this election by sheer numbers, dedication and courage. Unions overcame a cash tsunami with a tsunami of we the people. We the people really are the workers. We are the glue that holds America together, the fuel that turns the largest economy in the world. Who won this election? The folks who take care of us when we are sick, who get electricity to our homes and workplaces, who build the roads, bake our bread, make our government function and educate our kids. We are the people. The workers of America proved in this election that together we are the mightiest force in this country. I’m honored to have you on my side. Mark your calendars for Friday, Feb. 1, date of the 17th annual Oregon Labor Law Conference at the IBEW Local 48 hall in Northeast Portland. The conference is designed for busi- ness managers, business agents and union officers, to provide information that will help them do their jobs better and to help avoid legal liability. In addition to classes on basic griev- ance handling, progressive discipline, family medical leave, workers’ comp, and Social Security, this year will fea- ture a segment on how to use social media in organizing, as well as when and how employers can discipline em- ployees for using social media. Additionally, there will be a class on negotiating health care benefits under Obamacare, and another on workplace EE R F bullying. Guest speakers include Ronald Hooks, director of the National Labor Relations Board, NLRB 19, and Paul Gamson, outgoing chair of the Oregon Employment Relations Board. The conference is sponsored by IBEW Local 48, Oregon AFL-CIO, Northwest Oregon Labor Council, the Labor Education and Research Center of the University of Oregon, the Ore- gon and Columbia-Pacific building and construction trades councils, and the Center for Worker Rights. For registration information, go to www.laborlawconference.com or con- tact Norman Malbin at 503 889-3669 or Norman@IBEW48.com; or Kristi Straight at 503-889-3660 or Kristi@IBEW48.com. BARGAIN COUNTER Free classified ads to subscribers DEADLINE: Friday prior to publication Published 1st and 3rd Fridays Now accepting e-mails Send to: Michael492@comcast.net Mail to: NWLP, PO Box 13150, Portland OR 97213 (Please include union affiliation) • 15-20 words • No commercial or business ads • 1 ad per issue • All lower case (NO CAPITAL LETTERS, PLEASE) • Tom Chamberlain is president of the Oregon AFL-CIO. A UTOMOTIVE ’52 ford 4dr, $2,500 obo. 503-289-0066 4 kelly safari msr studded tires, lt235/75r15, load range c on f-150 alloy rims, 90% tread, $350. 503-201-5292 massa 20’s, 10 spoke chrome wheels w/goodyears, only 5k miles, fits dodge ram 1500, $850. 503-661-6987 F OR THE HOME king siZe box spring and frame, clean and nice, $75. 503-303-4227 H OUSING spray,oregon 400 acres, can split in 200 acre parcels, $750 per acre, terms. 541-468- 2961 southeast portland rental, 3 bed, 1.5 bath, ac, near lents park, $1,299 per month. 503-805-6648 seaside, oregon house for sale, ½ block to beach, $150k omo. 503-252-2388 long beach, wa 1 acre, 2 bdrm, loft, com- puter room, 2 bath house, green house, gar- dens, berries, out bldgs, large shop, $165k 503- 739-2412 pipe taps as a set three quarter through one and a half inch with two easy outs $150.00 obo. 503-622-0899 S PORTING G OODS mossberg .22 cal, bolt action rifle w/5 shot clip, $75. 503-699-5802 10” table saw, cast iron bed, spare blades and sanding disc, $150. 503-649-3844 W ANTED collector pays cash for older toys, older oil paintings and older american art pottery. 503 703-5952 buying coins us and world coins to add to my collection, paying fairly, any amount wel- come. 503-939-8835 old woodworking tools, planes, levels, chisels, handsaws, slicks, adzes, wrenches, folding rulers, leather tools, tool chests. 503-659- 0009 M ISCELLANEOUS two buddy l metal trucks: 1952 tow truck w/1952 pontiac car, $95; 1963 200 truck w/tiger in cage, $75. 503-798-6517 fencing 10’, t-posts, 18 in good condition, $180 cash. 503-780-0374 beer keg cooler, includeds cleaning kit and keg, $225. 360-892-6244 cedar chest, 47” long, 24” wide, 21” high, stripped down, use as is, or finish to your liking, $40. 503-286-3258 1x4 & 1x6 cedar, weathered, t&g, economy, 6,000 ft, $.50 a foot. take all for 10% discount. 1-503-530-9119 PAGE 10 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS NOVEMBER 16, 2012
